One Month Zutara Challenge No1
by PastaLuver
Summary: Everyday starting on April 1st and ending on April 31st, I will post a short Zutara story based on a word that you guys tell me! Start reveiwing now! The first 31 reveiws get into the series. Maximum maturity level is T for teen.
1. Rules

**Rules**

The word can't be a cuss word or a word describing an obscene body-part.

It can only be one word. More than one word will be counted as more than one entry.

Only one entry per person.

First come, first serve. The first 31 reviewers will get a guaranteed spot on the list as long as they followed all the rules.

Entry should not be anonyms because I will acknowledge the person who entered in the beginning of each story.

Entry must be submitted in a review on this story.

Flaming will not be tolerated.

I don't want to do the wrong word (or not do your word) just because I didn't know what it said so please make sure that your word is spelled correctly. It doesn't matter if I don't know what the word means. That's what (urban) is for!

**Example of a good entry**

Username: Pasta Luver

Monkeys

**A/N: Thanks Guys!! Start reviewing!!!**

**PastaLuver**


	2. Day One Memories

_**A/N:**__ OMG! This is gonna be soooo much fun!!!_

_Before I start, I'll be answering the question "Why not do this in March, PastaLuver?" Well….that's 'cause the book that I wrote was due in March. Yay! I wrote it for a contest and the winner gets published so wish me luck! (PS-That's also why my updates have been lacking…oops!)_

_Okay, on with the story! _

**Day One – Memories**

**Entry by ~Moonlit-Silhouette**

Even though it was distant in the back of his mind, he could still recall that faithful day so many years ago.

"…_The Fire Nation took my mother away from me!"_

"_That…that's something we have in common." _

It still stung, the words that she had said to him when he betrayed her trust.

"_I thought you had changed…"_

"_I have changed."_

Back then, he so wanted to believe that what he did was right…that he was giving himself room to grow as a person, to gain character, and to restore his honor…He clung to his beliefs. They were all that he had left.

"_I betrayed Uncle…"_

"_No, he betrayed you."_

Back then he believed that he did no wrong, that his intentions were pure and just. He now knew the error of his ways…though knowing did little to mend his sorrow.

"_Look inside your heart Zuko…"_

"_It is time to anwer the big questions Zuko. Who am I? What do I want?"_

"_Who are you angry at?"_

"_You have redeemed yourself Prince Zuko."_

"_You could have come back with me…you could have been a _hero_!"_

"_Go ahead, rot in here for all I care." _

"_You're crazy! A crazy old man, and if you weren't in jail, you'd be living in a gutter!" _

"I'm sorry Uncle…"

"…_then I'll make sure that your destiny ends…permanently."_

"_Well aren't you a big girl now?"_

"_Re-conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King…"_

"_Hand over the boy and I won't have to hurt you."_

"…_bring my mother back!" _

"I'm so, sorry…Katara."

"Zuko…babe…wake up…hun…wake up…its okay sweetie… I'm here…Katara's here."

"Katara," He clutched to her desperately. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

She was confused. "Why are you sorry babe? What happened?"

"I hurt you…I-I'm a bad person."

"No you're not Zuko."

"Yes I am! Everyone would be better off if I didn't exist."

"Don't say that!_ I_ need you Zuko. I can't imagine my life without you. What you did in the past doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we're together. Okay?"

He nodded slowly and buried his face in her chest. "I love you, Katara."

"I love you too my Prince."

And in that moment, a new memory was made. One that Zuko would cherish forever.

_**A/N:**__ Awesome, no? If you didn't catch on, the italics were his memories and the non-italics were the present. Zuko and Katara are together and he was having a nightmare which Katara woke him from._

_Stay tuned for Day 2 everyone!_

_Thank You,_

_PastaLuver_


	3. Day Two Turtleducks

**A/N: **Late! I know, I know, I am so sorry! You get a treat for putting up with my tardiness. You've waited long enough! I'll get to the story.

**Day Two - Turtleducks**

**Entry by KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun**

"And then, it just lashed out and bit my finger mommy!" Lee said, pushing his wounded finger into his mother's face for the umpteenth time.

"Oh that's horrible sweetheart."

"I know right! It _was _horrible! I thought she was gonna _eat me mama!"_

"_I know sweety," Fire Lady Katara piloted Lee to the throne room where her husband talked with his advisors about a new concept called subsidized housing that would lower the Fire nation's outrageous poverty rates. _

"_And I know that you're hurting," She stopped at a large door engraved with crimson dragons blowing orange flames up to make a great gold Phoenix, bending down to kiss his outstretched finger once more._

"_But maybe this is a problem that you can sort out with your father hmm?" _

_Lee nodded and began to yank open the door. When he succeded he charged into the room and ran past the startled noblemen to the bottom of a curling staircase._

"_Daddy! The turtleduck bit my finger!" He yelled waving his injury in his father's direction._

_Having seen the look from his wife Katara (the "just go along with it" look) he replied. "No! That's a tragedy! Come up here this instant and lets have a look."_

_Lee climbed the stairs and sat in his father's lap. "Daddy! Daddy! Look! She almost bit my finger off daddy!"_

"_I see…you know what?"_

"_What?" Lee asked excitedly._

_Zuko frowned mockingly, showing that he was just playing to his wife and the noblemen. Lee of course, couldn't tell the difference. _

"_I think you might have turtleduck-a-nemia!"_

"_Turtleduck-a-huh?"_

"_It's a disease that little boys get when they are bitten by mommy turtleducks. When you have it, over time you turn into one yourself!"_

"_B-but I don't wanna be a mommy turtleduck!" Lee cried trembling. Some of the nobles had to suppress their laughter at the young Prince'sseriousness. Katara gave him a panicked warning glance when she noticed the tell-tale signs that he was about to cry._

"_Wait, wait! Don't cry! There is a cure!"_

"_Umm…yes!" Katara continued catching on. "Your turtleduck-a-nemia will go away only if you don't talk about getting bitten in the first place."_

"_Really!?"_

"_Of course! Would your mother and I lie about something that is sooo crutial to the future of the Fire Nation?"_

_Lee sat taller for a moment then jumped down off of his fathers lap and back into the arms of his mother. _

"_Thank you," she mouthed over her shoulder. _

_She made this gesture visible to all, but concealed her "I'll thank you later" look for Zuko's eyes alone._

"_Thank the Gods for turtleducks." He whispered silently blessing Lee for being bitten in the first place. _


	4. Day Three Protect

**A/N: **Oh you guys!! You're the best! And because you're the best I will try my best not to be late anymore. Well on with the story!

**Day Three - Protect**

**Entry by EmpressVicky**

"Why the hell did I rent this movie again?" Zuko grumbled irritated. Katara leaned into his arm without taking her eyes off of the sexy vampire on the television screen.

"Cause I'm your best friend." She whispered back. "Now hush! This is my favorite part."

"_I feel_ _very…protective of you." Edward says brushing his fingertips over her cheek lightly, as if she were a breakable porcelain doll._

"_I don't need protecting…" Bella replies shying away from his ice cold touch._

"Oh Edward," Katara sighed placing a hand over her heart. "You can protect me anytime."

Zuko scoffed and leaned back into the couch. 'What does _Edward_ have that I don't?' He asked himself silently, watching her swoon over the made up character. 'For one I'm _real_. That's gotta be worth something right?'

Zuko grinned, finding that he had the upper hand over Mr. Edward "Emo Sexy Vampire"Cullen.

"And what are you smiling about frowny-pants? I thought you hated this movie?"

"I do," He replied. "But that doesn't mean that I can't be happy that you're happy right?"

Katara was shocked at his sudden sensitivity. "Yeah," She said, suspiciously returning attention back to the movie. "Right."

The next day after school, Zuko sat in his car and waited for Katara. Because he was a grade above her they had no classes together and didn't see each other in the halls frequently enough to talk.

When he saw her, he waved her down. He scowled when he saw what she was wearing.

"Really, an Edward T-shirt? You actually wear that thing to school?"

Katara looked down at herself approvingly. "Yes. Why not wear the face of the sexiest man alive to school in t-shirt form?" She had meant it as a joke, but he still replied coldly.

"Because he's not alive."

Katara, taken aback watched as he pulled out of the school parking-lot and into the street, gaining speed as he disappeared out of view. She hung her head while she walked to her bike and didn't look up again until she was safely home.

Her father greeted her warmly when she walked through the door telling her that he'd ordered pizza and it should be here in a few minutes. She nodded and made her way up-stairs to her bedroom.

When there she slammed the door behind her and crashed down unto her bed. She was greeted with the familiar scent of her Twilight sheets covered in photos of the various book-covers. She looked up and around, noticing for the thousandth time the seemingly endless Twilight memorabilia. This time though, there was no pride in her stare, only sadness. She felt rejected, as if Zuko was treating her this way because of her strange fandom.

'Maybe if I can stop being a fan, Zuko won't be mad t me anymore…'

So, all that night was spent clearing her space of everything having anything to do with the Twilight Saga.

The posters were peeled away, action figures taken down from their proud stands and put into boxes with the rest. She exchanged her worn, comfy sheets with scratchy pressed and new ones that made her stomach curl. She cleared her wardrobe of the endless "I'm a Twi-Girl" tees and filled it with pinks, blues, grays and whites, as every other normal teenaged girl she knew.

She didn't notice that, as she did this, tears poured down her face. "It's all for Zuko," She mumbled. "It's all for Zuko."

Zuko noticed the change in Katara's personality. She would never talk about Twilight, only school and the fact that they were best friends, as if she had to remind herself of her many responsibilities. He didn't want to think that she thought that he was a_ job_ but still…he couldn't help but wonder if this dramatic change had been because of him.

"_Because he's not alive." _He'd said. And if he'd turned around, he didn't know what he'd have seen.

Anger? Sadness? Did she understand his sarcasm? Or did she think that he was serious?

"Hey Katara?"

"Huh?" She answered too quickly.

"Are you okay?"

Katara was silent, as if answering his question would betray a sacred oath.

"Yes." She said passively through her teeth. "I am…fine."

He didn't press her any further and accepted her answer happily. Just as any teenaged boy blind with love would.

It was Halloween.

Almost a month ago, Katara had finished her The Ultimate Fan-Girl costume. Now it was with some girl in Alaska who she sold it to so she could go make-up shopping with "friends". She'd never tell anyone that selling it for make-up was her personal equivalent of selling her soul for a pile of sand.

She was going as a dead cheerleader (how original) and was riding her motorbike to a party being held at Azula and Zuko's house.

When she arrived, she was "greeted" by Azula and her cronies Mai and Ty Lee. Azula was dressed in the exact same outfit as her.

"You little tramp!" Mai yelled.

"Yeah! How could you come to Azula's party dressed as Azula? It's like you're mocking her or something!" Ty Lee stomped her foot on the ground making her mini skirt flutter.

Azula merely gave a wave of her hand and Katara was escorted from the premises.

She couldn't bear the embarrassment of returning to the massive estate to retrieve her bike so she walked home.

When her father asked why she was home early she frowned and ignored him dragging her sorry form up to bed. She collapsed a few inches from her destination and rested her ear on the cold hardwood floor.

"Kill me now…" She whispered drifting off into a sleep filled with bats, dogs and halfboolds…

When he couldn't find her at the party, he knew something was wrong.

"Mai," he asked. "Where's Katara?"

She looked as if she'd smelled something bad when she replied: "Yeah. Azula kicked her out. Little wretch wore the same costume that she did."

He raised his eyebrows. "Azula came as The Ultimate Fan-Girl?"

That same look again. "No! Azula came as a dead cheerleader. So did the wretch. But, whatdaya need her for when you have me right?"

Zuko, smelling the alcohol on her breath stepped away and ran towards the front door.

He spotted Katara's black motorbike and picked it up, using her spare keys to rev it up and ride to her house. He knocked on the door and Hakoda let him in saying that he should go check on Katara.

When he went upstairs he found her on the floor, her face wet with tears. The wood floor creaked under his weight as he stopped abruptly and looked around.

He'd seen her room before, but not as it was now.

"I…did…it for you Zuko," She whispered in her sleep. "All for you…"

He now understood. All her changes and strange behavior was because of that one sentence that he'd said nearly over a month before. And he had to make things right.

He picked her up and placed her on her bed, fetching and Edward blanket from the top shelf of her closet and draping it over her body.

"I'm sorry Katara," He said. "I promise you I'll make this right again" He placed a kiss on her forehead and made off the way he came, leaving her to her dreams.

She awoke in a bed when she'd distinctly remembered falling to sleep on the floor. A note lay on her chest written in Zuko's delicate handwriting.

_Katara,_ it read, _Meet me before school in the meadow. _

_Love, Zuko_

"Love?" She asked confused. Still she was curious about Zuko's 9intentions and swung her legs out of bed. Her familiar Edward blanket fell to the ground at her feet. _Zuko_.

What awaited her in the meadow was Zuko, clad in the exact outfit Edward wore in her favorite part of the movie Twilight pinning her to a tree branch, brushing his fingertips lightly over her cheek and whispering the words: "I feel very…protective of you." into her ear.

She gasped, not having expected this of all things. Still she went along with it.

"I don't need protecting…" She sighed.

Zuko panicked, thinking that, like in the movie, she'd cower away from him shyly. She didn't.

"But you can protect me anytime."

**A/N: **I met my first twi-guy today so that' where the inspiration came from. Way to go EmpressVicky for coming up with such a challenging prompt. Thanks for all of your support you guys! I love you all!!!

Until tomorrow,

PastaLuver


	5. Day Four Rose

**A/N: **AHHHHHH!!! Last time 5 days ago I promised you guys that I wouldn't be late anymore. And here I I'm 5 days later, apologizing for being late. I apologize. On with the story. You've waited enough.

**Day Four - Rose**

**Entry by LilyGirl101**

Katara swore to kill the next man who gave her roses. She swore that she'd tear his throat out and make him feel the kind of pain that she feels every time the pollen from one gets to her eyes up in her nose, caking n the tiniest of creases and folds making it impossible to see or smell anything but the pollen.

Today was Valentine's Day. She _hated_ Valentine's Day. It was like she was the Bubble-Boy and someone let a stray cat into her bubble.

She'd had her share of idiots that after numerous warnings that she was deathly allergic to roses, would still give her roses on every little occasion. She could recall endless birthday celebrations , anniversaries, holidays and events that she couldn't enjoy or spent in intensive care because some wise guy gave her the wretched _weed_.

So, when her brother set her up with a college buddy of his on a blind date, she expected the worst.

She arrived late, but fashionably so, to the restaurant where a person that she guessed was the boy she was meeting sat in the back waving her over.

'So far, so good.' She optimized privately.

"Hi," The man greeted standing to shake her hand and pull out a chair. "I'm Zuko. Or you might remember me as 'Tiny'. "

Katara looked up at him with wide eyes. "Tiny? That you in there?" She tapped jokingly with her fist on his chest as if knocking on a door.

"Um yeah. Is that you…Sparkles?" He chuckled as he used his childhood name for Katara.

Katara cringed at the name and shook its memories from her mind. "Yeah. I think Sokka set us up."

"Of course he did. He's Sokka."

The two laughed together and sat down for dinner. They talked as they waited for their food to arrive.

"So, Ba Sing Se University," Katara inquired. "How'd you land yourself there?"

"When my Dad went to jail and Azula went insane, I had to go live with my Uncle and he lives in Ba Sing Se so when I got out of school I wanted to stay close to him just in case he needed me. I decided to go to BU also so I could learn some of the culture. I just moved back because the sale of his teashop was finalized."

"Why'd he sell his teashop? It seemed as if he really loved tea the way you talk about him?"

"He died two years ago."

They were both silent for a moment before Katara rested a hand on top of his and caressed the palm with her thumb. "I am so sorry Zuko. At least he was able to experience your love everyday."

"Yeah." Zuko elaborated smiling lightly, "I'm fine."

They stared at each other for a long while, observing the others breaths, blinks and movements like wolves on the prowl. Then the food came, breaking them from their intimate moment.

"Let's eat." Zuko smiled.

When Zuko took her home he said that he insisted on going back and getting her car later because he was going to hold it for ransom to get her on a second date.

"Okay," She agreed. "But be careful with my baby."

"I won't hurt your baby Katara." He chuckled. Climbing back into the driver's seat of his car.

Then Katara noticed that something was missing…right about now she'd usually be in a lot of pain.

"Wait!" She called through his rolled down window. "No roses?"

"Sparkles, you _hate_ roses."

"But it's Valentine's Day?"

"You _hate_ Valentine's Day? Are you feeling okay Sparkles?"

She didn't answer but instead through her fist into the air and spun around in a circle.

"See ya tomorrow Tiny!" She waved as she ducked into her front door.

And what did she find? Vases and vases full of red roses. One big card in the center of it all had a note containing her second worst enemy:

_Dear Sparkles,_

_**April Fools!**_

**A/N:** Zuko's gonna get his ass kicked! This was kind of confusing setting-wise. So basically it's the Avatar World, but they have the same technology that we have today. The nicknames came from my imaginary friends from childhood. Zuko moved awa when he was about seven ears old. I know it's random that Zuko is April-Fooling Katara in the middle of February, but ya know I wanted to get April Fools in there somehow. It


	6. Did you miss me

Miss Me?

Well I just have to say that, while I was gone on my wittle vacation, I did some serious restructuring and thinking about this project of ours. Let's say every Sunday and Wednesday I post one of these things (let's call them prompts) as one-shots and you guys can review them and make me a happy little hermit!

Good-twin PastaLuver: We are not, nor have we ever been a hermit!

Evil-twin PastaLuver: Well we're close enough. We almost spend as much time in here writing our novel and glomping Imogen Heap as our little brother spends in the bathroom wank-

Real PastaLuver: That is quite enough you two!

So what do you guys think about the schedule? Every Sunday and Wednesday I will write you guys a new story. That way, I can still be a hermit-

Good-twin: HEY!

Evil-twin: We speak the truth.

-and you, the people, will get a relatively even amount of Zutaraness every week? Get back to me if you don't like it but, for now, go check out Sunday's story on my profile or the front page of the Avatar: The Last Airbender forum!

Love you all!

Good-twin: We are NOT a HERMIT-

Evil-twin: [Shoots Good-twin PastaLuver in the head with a 30 caliber rifle.]

Real PastaLuver: [Gawks at Evil-twin]

Evil-twin: What? Someone had to do it someday.

Love you all!

C u on Wednesday!

PastaLuver


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